Organising the Crafting Supplies

Crafting, of any variety, makes for a good hobby or three. It’s very easy, once you start one sort of craft, to be sucked into another. And then another, and another.

There’s another hobby that goes along with all the crafting, though, that often gets forgotten or overlooked.

It’s the collecting of crafting supplies and organising the craft room. Or are they two separate hobbies?

I know, you’ll use what you buy, and it’s part of the crafting process, but really, it’s a hobby all of its very own. Let’s not kid ourselves.

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And as for organising the supplies – well! I don’t know how long your crafting space took, but mine has been a year-long project that still isn’t finished. It’s been going since before the first lockdown. I’ve had several reorganisations over the last year, before the most stressful trip to IKEA in the autumn for the Kallax units.

One day, perhaps, it will be complete. When I have my own crafting cabin, maybe. Even then, though, I expect I will periodically reorganise and move things around. Like I say, a hobby in and of itself.

As for now, I’m trying to organise my larger papers and cardstock (I have a handful of 12×12 sheets, but I don’t often buy these) in a fashion which encourages me to reach for them, rather than just the A6 and 6×6 sheets out in the open behind me. And all the stickers and gems and other ephemera that just sort of collects…

The washi tape are organised: I have several spice racks which I’ve repurposed for washi tape and, one day (when I hang them up), my ribbons. Currently they’re just stacked against the wall, with the ribbon in a box still. And I was given a lovely ink-rack for Christmas, which is specifically designed for dew drop ink pads, with my few square mini-pads stacked on top.

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I had a little trouble working out the right sort of storage for my pens and pencils and ephemera, because I know if I have drawers, I’d likely just chuck things back in without taking the trouble to put them back properly. And then the drawers would be a mess. And I’m not much taken with most of the plastic storage solutions usually suggested.

But I unexpectedly (I wasn’t really looking for them) found sets of woven baskets in B&M for a fiver. And I have a couple more of the shelf inserts on order with IKEA. Obviously, I still won’t be done when they arrive, but I’ll be several steps closer. Which is the main thing.